In this project, you'll learn how to isolate DNA from onion cells, separating it from other cellular components in a manner that still preserves its structure and sequence. In the end, you'll have enough DNA to see with the unaided eye, and you'll be able to spool it to demonstrate its strand-like structure.
Read more

Have you ever looked in the kitchen cupboard and found a container of tiny white grains, but you were not sure if they were sugar or salt? They look very similar. How could you tell them apart? Well, you know that sugar and salt taste very different. Taste is actually called a property, and properties are used to describe and identify different materials. Properties can also be used to physically separate things. In this science project, you will use different properties to create a way…
Read more

BioChem_p046

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Iron filings and neodymium magnets may need to be specially ordered. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

An adult's help may be needed for using a knife and scissors to cut a plastic bottle. Follow all safety precautions when handling the neodymium magnets; these magnets should never slam together, never pinch fingers or skin, never be swallowed, and should be kept away from all electronic devices. Keep them out of reach of all young children and pets. An adult should help if a stovetop or oven is used.

Have you ever mixed together salt and sand? It is fun to see how all of those tiny grains of salt and sand mix together! But what if you had to separate them out again? Do you have nightmares of tiny tweezers, a magnifying glass, and hours spent picking grains of salt and sand apart? Do not be afraid, there is another way! In this chemistry science project you will use the differences in solubility between salt and sand to find out the simple "solution" to this problem.
Read more

Chem_p016

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Very Short (≤ 1 day)

Prerequisites

none

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Very Low (under $20)

Safety

This science project requires adult supervision. Be careful and have adult supervision when using the stove and oven, and handling the boiling water

DNA is what makes you look like you. It contains your body's instructions for your hair and eye color, ear shape, your height, and much, much more. Do other living things also have DNA or is DNA only found in humans? You can answer that question yourself (and have your first look at your own DNA) by doing this project.
Read more

BioChem_p042

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

A DNA extraction kit, listed in the Materials tab, is used for this project.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Adult help is needed to cut a strawberry. The DNA extraction buffer is harmless if you touch it, but do not taste or swallow it.

Everyone loves the beautiful colors of fall, but where do they come from and how does the change in colors happen? In this project, you will uncover the hidden colors of fall by separating plant pigments with paper chromatography. What colors will you see?
Read more

Making your own bubble solution is fun, but sometimes the bubbles don't seem to work as well as the solutions you buy in the store. In this experiment you can test if adding corn syrup or glycerin to your bubble solution will make it just as good as the stuff you can buy. This experiment will have you blowing bubbles!
Read more

Are oranges highest in vitamin C when they are fresh from the tree (or, in a pinch, the grocery shelf)? Does the amount of vitamin C in an orange change over time, after it has been picked? In this science project, you will find answers to these questions by measuring the amount of vitamin C in a solution using an iodine titration method.
Read more

Chem_p043

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

Ideally you would have your own citrus tree with ripe fruit for this science project. The second-best option is to use citrus fruit from a store.

Material Availability

Titration equipment and supplies are needed. A kit is available at the [# Link Name="Chem_p044.7" Value="HtmlAnchor" #]. See the Materials tab for details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Adult supervision required. Concentrated iodine is poisonous if swallowed. Read and follow all safety guidelines in the Procedure. More information is available from the iodine [# Link Name="Chem_p044.1" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlText="Materials Safety Data Sheet" #].

Which type of orange juice has the most vitamin C? In this science project, you will learn how to measure the amount of vitamin C in a solution using an iodine titration method. You will compare the amount of vitamin C in three different types of orange juice: homemade, premium not-from-concentrate, and orange juice made from frozen concentrate. Which do you think will have the most vitamin C?
Read more

Chem_p044

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Material Availability

Titration equipment and supplies are needed. A kit is available from the [# Link Name="Chem_p044.7" Value="HtmlAnchor" #]. See the Materials tab for details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Adult supervision required. Concentrated iodine is poisonous if swallowed. Read and follow all safety guidelines in the Procedure. More information is available from the iodine [# Link Name="Chem_p044.1" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlText="Materials Safety Data Sheet" #].

Have you ever wondered how fun toys like Silly Putty, Gak, and Slime are made? These products are so much fun because of the properties of polymers, which make them delightfully bouncy, stretchy, sticky, moldable, breakable, hard, soft, and just plain fun! In this science project you can be the developer of your own putty product by changing the ratio of ingredients to change the physical properties of your putty polymer. By describing the physical properties of your results, you can choose…
Read more

Chem_p012

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Very Short (≤ 1 day)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Very Low (under $20)

Safety

Adult supervision required. Borax is harmful if swallowed. On rare occasion handling borax can result in
rashes.

Astronomers can figure out what distant stars are made of (in other words, their atomic composition) by measuring what type of light is emitted by the star. In this science project, you can do something similar by observing the color of flames when various chemicals are burned.
Read more

Phys_p058

+ More Details

- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Requires specific chemicals; see Materials for more details.
For your convenience, a kit is available for purchase at the [# Link Name="Phys_p058.5" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Adult supervision required. This science fair project involves creating small controlled fires. Make
sure you follow all the safety guidelines in the Experimental Procedure.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=BioChem_p015.shtml

You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies.